Page 778 - the-idiot

quite unexpected feeling seized upon her heart, all in a mo-
ment.
‘And you won’t reproach me for all these rude words of
mine—some day—afterwards?’ she asked, of a sudden.
‘What an idea! Of course not. And what are you blushing
for again? And there comes that frown once more! You’ve
taken to looking too gloomy sometimes, Aglaya, much
more than you used to. I know why it is.’
‘Be quiet, do be quiet!’
‘No, no, I had much better speak out. I have long wished
to say it, and HAVE said it, but that’s not enough, for you
didn’t believe me. Between us two there stands a being
who—‘
‘Be quiet, be quiet, be quiet, be quiet!’ Aglaya struck in,
suddenly, seizing his hand in hers, and gazing at him al-
most in terror.
At this moment she was called by someone. She broke
loose from him with an air of relief and ran away.
The prince was in a fever all night. It was strange, but
he had suffered from fever for several nights in succession.
On this particular night, while in semi-delirium, he had
an idea: what if on the morrow he were to have a fit before
everybody? The thought seemed to freeze his blood with-
in him. All night he fancied himself in some extraordinary
society of strange persons. The worst of it was that he was
talking nonsense; he knew that he ought not to speak at all,
and yet he talked the whole time; he seemed to be trying
to persuade them all to something. Evgenie and Hippolyte
were among the guests, and appeared to be great friends.